What goes into breeding and hatching more than 230 breeds and varieties of poultry? In episode 51 of The Poulrty Doc Podcast, Dr. Blayne visits Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri, for a behind-the-scenes tour with owner Jeff Smith. Founded in 1936, this fourth-generation family hatchery is celebrating 90 years in business. Find out why Cackle is one of only 12 remaining hobby hatcheries in the United States.

Jeff shares the work behind selective breeding, the challenges of finding new bloodlines for older breeds, and the care that keeps decades-old redwood incubators running. Along the way, he and Dr. Blayne discuss how eggs at different stages of development share heat inside the incubators, and why temperature, humidity, and egg turning matter.

From coordinating with the farms that care for Cackle’s breeding stock to sorting chicks and preparing orders for shipment, this episode shows how much planning goes into every hatch. It also offers a look at the original hatchery buildings and the family history behind an operation that has stayed in the same location for nine decades.

Thank you Jeff, Nathaniel, Dalton, and everyone at Cackle for having us out and giving us a tour. And a big thanks to Jonathan for the great footage.

Learn more about Cackle and their 230 varieties of poultry.

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Read an article about incubating your own chicks and setting your brooder up for success.

00:00 Intro

00:11 Meet Jeff Smith at Cackle Hatchery

00:22 90 Years and Four Generations of Family History

01:25 Behind-the-Scenes Operations

03:08 Inside the Brooder Room

03:30 Selective Breeding and the Search for New Bloodlines

05:28 Keeping Vintage Redwood Incubators Running

06:22 How Developing Embryos Share Heat

07:32 Egg Collection and Working with Local Farms

08:42 Why the Hatching Process Cannot Stop

10:20 Temperature, Humidity, and Egg Turning

11:42 Maintenance and Historic Hatchery Buildings

13:13 The Original Hatchery and Keeping the Business Alive

14:19 Closing Thoughts

00:00 Welcome to The Poultry Doc Podcast

00:11 Meet Jeff Smith at Cackle Hatchery

00:22 90 Years and Four Generations of Family History

01:25 Seasonal Hatching and Behind-the-Scenes Operations

03:08 Inside the Brooder Room

03:30 Selective Breeding and the Search for New Bloodlines

05:28 Keeping Vintage Redwood Incubators Running

06:22 How Developing Embryos Share Heat

07:32 Egg Collection and Working with Local Farms

08:42 Why the Hatching Process Cannot Stop

10:20 Temperature, Humidity, and Egg Turning

11:42 Maintenance and Historic Hatchery Buildings

13:13 The Original Hatchery and Keeping the Business Alive

14:19 Closing Thoughts